Natalie Merchant once walked away from 10,000 Maniacs at the height of their commercial run, saying she didn’t want art by committee anymore. The company she’s keeping at Democracy Rocks 2 suggests she’s found a committee worth making an exception for: Kate Pierson of the B-52s and Gail Ann Dorsey, David Bowie’s long-serving bassist and vocalist, who sang Freddie Mercury’s lines on “Under Pressure” in front of arenas.
About the Show
Democracy Rocks 2 is a six-hour outdoor benefit running 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., with proceeds going to Indivisible’s pro-democracy efforts and Ulster Rapid Response’s Ice Watch. The full lineup includes Professor Louie and the Crowmatix, Jenna Nicholls, The Bob Cats, and The Marc Black Band alongside Merchant, Pierson, and Dorsey. Merchant takes the stage at 5:30 p.m.
Merchant fronted 10,000 Maniacs from 1981 to 1993, leaving at the peak of their popularity to pursue solo work. She has released nine albums since 1994, with Keep Your Courage (Nonesuch, April 2023) arriving as her first collection of original material in nine years. Written and recorded during the pandemic, it draws on folk and pop with orchestral arrangements, featuring contributions from Celtic folk group Lúnasa, Syrian clarinetist Kinan Azmeh, and vocalist Abena Koomson-Davis. One reviewer described her as “weaving a spell, spinning out silken webs of captivating melodies,” and that’s as good a reason as any to be standing in a Woodstock garden at 5:30 on a Sunday.
Kate Pierson has been a founding member of the B-52s for close to fifty years, and she and her partner operate Kate’s Lazy Meadow motel in nearby Mount Tremper, making her something close to a local at this show. Gail Ann Dorsey, Bowie’s bassist and vocalist from 1995 to 2004, is best known for singing Freddie Mercury’s original vocal lines opposite Bowie on “Under Pressure” — a moment that became one of the most celebrated in Bowie’s live catalog throughout that era.
Venue & Logistics
The show takes place in Colony Woodstock‘s outdoor garden at 22 Rock City Rd, Woodstock, in the Hudson Valley, rain or shine, with an indoor fallback if the weather won’t cooperate. Doors open at 2 p.m. The Colony Hotel has been part of this corner of Woodstock since 1929, when it served as a stopover for visitors heading up to Overlook Mountain House, its great room hosting big bands for the overnight crowd. That history makes a lineup like this feel less surprising than it might look.
Tickets
Tickets are $45 to $66. Attendees under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. No refunds. Buy tickets